Some people have told me they remember the film that one of my images is derived from, but in fact I had no film in mind at all.
Cindy ShermanMy message for people to not take anything for granted, to respect what they might not understand.
Cindy ShermanWe're all products of what we want to project to the world. Even people who don't spend any time, or think they don't, on preparing themselves for the world out there - I think that ultimately they have for their whole lives groomed themselves to be a certain way, to present a face to the world.
Cindy ShermanI don't analyze what I'm doing. I've read convincing interpretations of my work, and sometimes I've noticed something that I wasn't aware of, but I think, at this point, people read into my work out of habit. Or I'm just very, very smart.
Cindy ShermanIโm really just using the mirror to summon something I donโt even know until I see it.
Cindy ShermanIn horror stories or in fairy tales, the fascination with the morbid is also, at least for me, a way to prepare for the unthinkableโฆ Thatโs why itโs very important for me to show the artificiality of it all, because the real horrors of the world are unmatchable, and theyโre too profound. Itโs much easier to absorb โ to be entertained by it, but also to let it affect you psychologically โ if itโs done in a fake, humorous, artificial way.
Cindy Sherman